Australian Active Service Medal | |
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![]() ![]() Obverse of medal (with East Timor clasp) and ribbon | |
Type | Campaign medal |
Awarded for | Service in prescribed warlike operations |
Presented by | Australia |
Established | 13 September 1988 |
Total | 62,210 as at 30 June 2010 |
Order of Wear | |
Next (higher) | Australian Active Service Medal 1945–1975 |
Next (lower) | International Force East Timor Medal (INTERFET) |
Related | Australian Active Service Medal 1945–1975 |
The Australian Active Service Medal (AASM) is an Australian military decoration. It was authorised on 13 September 1988 to recognise prescribed service in "warlike" operations, backdated to February 1975. [1] It is awarded with a clasp to denote the prescribed operation and subsequent awards of the medal are made in the form of additional clasps. [2] In 2012, it was announced that the medal would no longer be issued for future operations, with the AASM and the Australian Service Medal being replaced by the Australian Operational Service Medal. [3]
The AASM is a circular nickel-silver medal ensigned with the Crown of St Edward. The obverse has a Federation Star within a wreath of mimosa and bears a laurel wreath surrounding the inscription 'FOR ACTIVE SERVICE'. [1] [2]
The medal ribbon is 32 millimetres wide and has a central red stripe to symbolise the danger of warlike operations. It is flanked by stripes of silver-green which in turn are flanked by stripes of light green, gold, dark green and brown. [2]
The ribbon bar consists of a strip of full-sized ribbon with no emblem. [2]
Veterans and current serving ADF personnel have proposed that a new AASM be issued incorporating clasps for warlike operations in Afghanistan (ICAT), Syria and Iraq. [4] In 2015, the AASM ceased being issued by the Australian Government and was replaced by the Operational Service medal (OSM). Unlike the AASM, the OSM for Middle East deployments does not distinguish between the active and warlike service of deployed personnel serving in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, compared with support personnel serving in places such as the UAE who receive the same medal as personnel service on warlike operations. Alternately the current AASM could be issued for active service in those countries, with clasps for ICAT, Iraq and Syria.
This has caused concern to personnel who believe a new AASM should be issued alongside the OSM to recognise warlike service of those operations, including the AASM for service in Afghanistan from 2015 to the evacuation in 2021. [5]
The following clasps were authorised for issue with the AASM: [6]
Recipients of the Australian Active Service Medal are also entitled to the issue of the Returned from Active Service Badge (RASB). [13]
The RASB is the only campaign service badge awarded post-World War II. It is worn on the left lapel and only in civilian attire, to reflect that the recipient has been involved in warlike service. [14] The brass badge has a serial number with a prefix denoting the member's service, [15] and has been awarded since 1945 where the only change to its appearance has been the replacement of the King George VI's crown with that of the Queen Elizabeth's. [13]
Unlike most awards, the RASB is not issued to deceased members or the next-of-kin, as the badge represents a return from the member's warlike service. [14] [16] The replacement of the AASM with the Operational Service Medal was announced in May 2012; [3] as a result, the RASB has been retired with the AASM, with the Operational Service Badge filling the role of being a badge indicative of a members' warlike service. [17]
A separate campaign medal in the Australian system is awarded for major operations and wars, and several – such as the Afghanistan Medal and the Iraq Medal [18] – were issued concurrently with the AASM. These are referenced under their respective clasps, such as the "ICAT" clasp. [19] Personnel who received this medal may also be entitled to receive a service or campaign medal from an international organisation or the host country – such as the NATO Medal – if they meet the eligibility criteria for those medals. [20] These are treated as foreign medals in the Australian system, and if approved for wear on service uniforms, are worn after Australian medals in the order they are received. Recipients of the ASM may be authorised to wear two or three further medals for the same period of service; an Australian campaign medal, a medal from an international organisation and a medal from a host nation. Some of the international and host nation medals have been granted a blanket authority for all recipients to wear. Others are approved on an individual basis. [21]
The Meritorious Unit Citation is a collective group decoration awarded to members of Australian military units. It recognises sustained outstanding service in warlike operations. The Meritorious Unit Citation was created in 1991, along with the Unit Citation for Gallantry.
The NATO Medal is an international military decoration which is awarded to various militaries of the world under the authority of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It is manufactured by Eekelers-Centini Intl, of Hemiksem, Belgium.
The 1939–1945 Star is a military campaign medal instituted by the United Kingdom on 8 July 1943 for award to British and Commonwealth forces for service in the Second World War. Two clasps were instituted to be worn on the medal ribbon, Battle of Britain and Bomber Command.
The New Zealand General Service Medal 1992 (Warlike) (NZGSM 1992) is a New Zealand campaign medal, authorised in 1992, for award to New Zealanders who have served in warlike operations for which no separate New Zealand or British Commonwealth campaign medal was issued.
The Iraq Medal was authorised on 23 February 2004. It was a campaign medal issued to members of the British Armed Forces and certain attached personnel, who served between 20 January 2003 and 22 May 2011 on, or in support of, Operation Telic - the designation for British operations during the 2003 Invasion of Iraq and its aftermath.
The Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan is a campaign medal previously awarded by the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom for service by British Armed Forces personnel in support of the post-2001 Afghan War.
The Operational Service Medal for the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a British armed forces campaign medal, awarded mostly to military personnel who served between 14 June and 10 September 2003 on Operation Coral.
The General Service Medal, is a campaign medal of the United Kingdom introduced in 1962 to replace both the General Service Medal (1918), as awarded to the Army and RAF, and the Naval General Service Medal (1915). The 1962 GSM was awarded until 2007, when it was replaced by the Operational Service Medal. In 2015 the General Service Medal (2008) was introduced.
The Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal is an award in the Australian honours system. The award is presented to those who perform humanitarian service in a foreign country, in particular those working in dangerous environments or conditions or during a humanitarian crisis. The award was introduced by letters patent on 16 April 1999, following a review of the Australian honours and awards system beginning in 1995.
The Afghanistan Medal was instituted by Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia on the advice of the Australian Prime Minister John Howard in 2004. It is awarded to Australian defence force personnel who served in or around Afghanistan after 11 October 2001. Defence force personnel are also recognised by the 'ICAT' clasp to the Australian Active Service Medal and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's Non-Article 5 Medal with 'ISAF' clasp.
The Iraq Medal was instituted by Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia on the advice of the Australian Prime Minister John Howard in 2004. The Iraq Medal is awarded to Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel who served in or around Iraq. ADF personnel are also recognised by the 'IRAQ 2003' clasp to the Australian Active Service Medal.
The Australian Active Service Medal 1945–1975 recognises the service of Australian Defence Force and certain other persons in prescribed warlike operations in the period after World War II, and prior to February 1975. The medal was established in December 1997. The Australian Active Service Medal recognises warlike service after February 1975 until 2012 when the Australian Operational Service Medal was instituted.
The International Force East Timor (INTERFET) Medal recognises members of the Australian Defence Force who served for 30 days in East Timor during the INTERFET campaign. The qualifying area comprises East Timor and the sea adjacent to East Timor out to a distance of 12 nautical miles (22 km) from the low water mark.
The Australian Service Medal is an Australian military decoration. It was authorised 13 September 1988 to recognise prescribed service in peacekeeping and non-warlike operations. It is awarded with a clasp to denote the prescribed operation and subsequent awards of the medal are made in the form of additional clasps. The Australian Service Medal 1945–1975 recognises non-warlike service prior to February 1975. The Australian Service Medal was replaced in 2012 by the Australian Operational Service Medal, except for ongoing missions.
The 1st Close Health Battalion (1CHB) was a unit of the 17th Sustainment Brigade of the Australian Army. It was headquartered at the Robertson Army Barracks in Darwin, but had sub-units located in Darwin, Townsville and Brisbane. The unit traced its lineage back to the 1st Field Hospital, which was raised in the 1960s for service as part of Australia's contribution to the Vietnam War. Since then, the unit has changed names twice and personnel have been deployed on numerous peacekeeping and warlike operations throughout Africa, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region.
The Australian Operational Service Medal is a campaign medal established on 22 May 2012 to recognise service by Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel on designated hazardous operations. It may also be awarded to civilians who serve alongside the ADF on designated operations under specific conditions.
The logistical support of the multinational International Force East Timor (INTERFET) peacekeeping mission in 1999 and 2000 involved, at its peak, 11,693 personnel from 23 countries. Of these 5,697 were from Australia, making it the largest deployment of Australian forces overseas since the Vietnam War. INTERFET was unusual in that it was led by Australia, casting the country in a wholly unfamiliar role. The logistics and support areas of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) had been subject to deep cuts in the 1990s. The ADF had not anticipated being committed to such a large peacekeeping mission, and was unprepared to support an Australian force projection of this size, much less act as lead nation of an international coalition.
The Operational Service Medal Iraq and Syria or Operation Shader Medal is a British armed forces campaign medal, awarded mostly to military personnel who served in the operational area of, or in support of Operation Shader. The medal was first announced by former Defence Secretary, Sir Michael Fallon on 19 September 2017. It was first awarded, to service personnel, on 18 July 2018 in London by Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson. This Operational Service Medal is the first medal of the contemporary era to be awarded to individuals who served outside of the operational area, reflecting the changing nature of warfare.